Prospect Creek (New South Wales)
Prospect Creek, an urban watercourse of the Georges River catchment, is located in the western and Canterbury-Bankstown regions of Sydney, in New South Wales, Australia.
| Prospect Creek | |
|---|---|
 Prospect Creek, as it flows in Fairfield. | |
  NASA satellite view of Greater Metropolitan Sydney, with the Prospect Creek mouth location, as marked | |
| Location | |
| Country | Australia |
| State | New South Wales |
| Region | Sydney Basin (IBRA), Greater Western Sydney, Canterbury-Bankstown, Southern Sydney |
| LGAs | Blacktown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Liverpool, Canterbury-Bankstown |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Prospect Reservoir |
| • location | north of Bulls Hill, Prospect |
| • coordinates | 33°50′2″S 150°53′20″E |
| Mouth | confluence with the Georges River |
• location | Dhurawal Bay, Georges Hall |
• coordinates | 33°54′35″S 150°58′25″E |
| Length | 26 km (16 mi) |
| Basin size | 98 km2 (38 sq mi) |
| Basin features | |
| River system | Sydney Basin catchment |
| Dam / Reservoir | Prospect Reservoir |
| [1][2] | |
As Prospect Reservoir forms a part of the Sydney metropolitan water supply, the flow of the creek is regulated in accordance with the operational requirements of Sydney Water. The creek is 26 kilometres (16 mi) long, starting at the Prospect Reservoir at the top of the catchment and flows to the Georges River at Georges Hall, as its tributary.
In 2020 a proposal was submitted to upgrade a 6 kilometre (4 mi) stretch of Prospect Creek river status.[3] In September 2020, this proposal went before the Geographical Names Board of NSW (GNB) after Community Advocate Lachlan Hyde with the support of local state MPs[4] pushed the New South Wales Government on the matter.[3] This section would then be named Lennox River to honour Scottish-Australian stonemason David Lennox who designed and oversaw the construction of the Lansdowne Bridge which crosses this waterway.[3]
Course and features
Prospect Creek rises below Prospect Reservoir, north of Bulls Hill in Prospect, within the Blacktown local government area, and flows generally southeast by east, through the Holroyd, Fairfield, Liverpool and Bankstown local government areas, before reaching its confluence with the Georges River, at Georges Hall, spilling into Dhurawal Bay in the Chipping Norton Lakes.[1]
The catchment area of the creek is approximately 98 square kilometres (38 sq mi), and is largely urbanised with industrial land uses, residential and open space for recreation.[2]
Restrictions
Fishing in Prospect Creek is closed to all recreational fishing traps. Penalties apply for not complying with fishing rules and regulations.[5] Bull sharks can be found in the creek as the Georges River is tidal up to the Liverpool Weir, and Prospect Creek connects below that point. As such, swimming is not recommended.[6]
Recreation
The creek winds through a number of parks and reserves, with the most prominent ones being, Gipps Road Sporting Complex, Rosford Street Reserve and the contiguous Long Street Park in Smithfield, Fairfield Park Precinct and Cawarra Park in Fairfield, Fairfield Road Park in Yennora, Makepeace Oval in Fairfield and Henry Lawson Reserve in Georges Hall, going from northwest to southeast. It also flows on the western fringes of Fairfield High School and just north of Bland Oak, a historical tree.
There are walkways or cycling paths that parallel the creek. The longest, continuous walking path that runs alongside creek starts from Widmere Road, adjacent to the Liverpool–Parramatta T-way, in the northern periphery of Wetherill Park, and ends at Fairfield Road Park in Yennora, opposite of Yennora Fire Station. The walkabouts are within the surroundings of the Australian bushland, which include native trees such as eucalyptus.[7]
References
- "Prospect Creek". Geographical Names Register (GNR) of NSW. Geographical Names Board of New South Wales. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
- "Prospect Creek". Rivers and Creeks. Bankstown City Council. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
- Boulous, Chris (17 September 2020). "River me this: Push to upgrade part of Prospect Creek". Fairfield City Champion. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- Boulous, Chris (12 November 2020). "'Fitting tribute': MPs support plan to upgrade Prospect Creek". Fairfield City Champion. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
- "Prime Facts" (PDF). Sydney South Recreational Fishing Guide. Industry & Investment NSW. January 2011. p. 2. Retrieved 11 April 2013.
- "Chipping Norton Lake Scheme" (PDF). NSW Coastal Explorer. Department of Environment and Planning. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
- King M & Associates (1997) Recreation Needs Assessment Study prepared for Fairfield City Council
External links
- "Georges River catchment" (map). Office of Environment and Heritage. Government of New South Wales.
